Mechanism for removing snow from railways, highways, &amp;c.



N0. 678,7i6. Patented July l6, mm.

P. E. CABMODV.

MECHANISM FOR REMOVING SNOW FROM RAILWAYS, HlGl-IWAYS, 81.13. (Application filvd Nov 1, 19003, (No Model.) 3 Sheets-.Sheet l.

m: unnms PETERS cc. momumuv. WASHlN GTON, o. c.

No. 678,7!6. Patented July I6, [90L P. E. CARMODY.

MECHANISM FOR REMOVING SNOW FROM RAILWAVS, HIGHWAYS, 8w.

(Application filed Nov. 1, 1900.) (No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

No. 678,7l6. Patented my I6, mm. P. E. CABMUDY.

MECHANISM FOR REMOVING SNOW FROM BAILWAYS, I'HGHWAYS, 8w.

(Application filed Nov. 1, 190m (No Model.)

3 Shaats$heet 3.

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SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 678,716, dated July 16, 1901.

Application filed November 1, 1900. Serial No. 35,157. (No model.)

To ctZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, PATRICK E. CARMODY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Ansonia, in the county of New Haven and State of Connecticut, have invented new and useful Improvements in Mechanism for Removing Snow from Railways, Highways, and other Surfaces, of which the following is a specification. I

My invention relates to mechanism for removing snow from railways, highways, and other surfaces.

It is my purpose to provide an apparatus of this character which shall be capable of taking snow from a roadway, removing the same cleanly, thoroughly, and quickly and with comparative economy, elevating it to a point where it can be emptied into a suitable tank or receptacle, and melted.

It is my object to provide a mechanism for removing snow which shall be propelled and operated by steam and in which the heat of the exhaust-steam shall be utilized to melt the snow taken up.

It is my object, also, to provide such a mechanism with means for removing and elevating the snow, having such construction and organization that the buckets which take the snow from the roadway shall travel across the open top of a melting-tank in an inverted position and shall assume such position as soon as theyarrive at a point where their contents can be discharged into said tank, said buckets being held automatically in position to scrape the snow from the surface over which the apparatus moves and then when filled with snow being brought into horizontal position and maintained therein until they reach the open top of the meltingtank.

My invention also comprises other novel features, all ofwhich will be fully explained in the following specification and then particularly pointed out and defined in the claims. 7

For the purposes of the following description reference is had to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a side elevation of the complete mechanism with the parts in operative position. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same. Fig.

3 is a front elevation of the apparatus shown in Figs. 1 and 2. Fig. at is a detail View, in side elevation, of one of the buckets removed from the machine and disconnected from the chains, the figure being upon a larger scale than the others. Fig. 5 is a plan View showing one end of the bucket illustrated in Fig. 4. Fig. 6 is a detail section taken upon the line 6 6 in Fig. 4. Fig. 7 is a detail perspective view of the melting-tank, showing the means forutilizing the heat of the exhauststeam from the engine. Fig. 8 is a transverse vertical section of the same.

The reference-numeral 1 in said drawings indicates the boiler of any ordinary steam or other'engine suitable for my purpose, which is supported upon wheels 2, which may be adapted to travel upon any ordinary roadbed, or, if preferred, may be flanged and otherwise constructed to travel upon rails only. As the steaming and propelling mechanism are subject to considerable variation according to the special work to be performed, as well as other circumstances, I have merely illustrated a sufficient number of the parts to enable my invention to be clearly understood.

Directly in front of the forward end of the boiler and its supporting-frame is a structure consisting of two rectangular vertical frames 8, parallel with and connected to each other and parallel with the plane of the wheels 2. At each of the four angles of these frames is a shaft 4, extending across from one frame to the other. Near the ends of said shafts are sprocket-wheels 5, lying within the inner sides of the vertical frames 3, but quite near the latter. Over these sprocket-wheels are stretched two chains 6, one upon each side and parallel with the frame adjacent to it. These chains carry a series of buckets 7, (shown in detail in Figs. 4, 5, and 6,) the particular manner of connecting said buckets to the chains being fully explained hereinafter. Said buckets are formed of metal plates or sheets of suitable strength, and they extend from the inner face of one frame 3 to the corresponding face of the other frame, sufficient space being allowed for clearance of the ends of the buckets. Motion is communicated to the series of buckets by means of a spur-gear 8, driven by the engine and meshing with a gear 9 on one of the shafts 4:.

Each of the buckets 7 is in end view of trapezoidal form, as seen in Fig. 4, its upper and lower sides being parallel and the back being at right angles therewith, while the front side is inclined to form an acute angle with the upper and an obtuse angle with the lower side or bottom, which is considerably the shorter of the two.

Upon the rearward side of the bucket at its ends are formed or attached brackets 10, which project from the rear face of the bucket at a right angle. In this bracket is formed a recess or chamber 12 to receive and retain the T-head 12 of a link-plate or toggle-plate 13, the latter lying in an opening 14, which communicates with the recess 12. The linkplate 13 is of substantially triangular shape and is connected to the bucket at the apex of two equal sides. At the two remaining angles openings 15 are formed to enable it to be connected to the chain 6 at each end. It will be observed that these openings 15 will lie in the same line as the chains 6, while the buckets 7 will be free to turn upon the pivotal connections formed by the T-heads 12 save only as its rotary movements are controlled by the means I will now describe.

Upon each of the ends of each bucket 7, within the angle formed by the rearward and the lower side or bottom of the bucket, is a short stud or hearing 16, which projects from the end wall of the bucket at a right angle to said wall. These studs form bearings for broad-faced pulleys or rollers 17, which are of such diameter that their peripheries project beyond the rearward and lower sides of the bucket, as shown in Fig. 4. These rollers rest upon the exterior faces of the two frames when the buckets are traveling along the lower and forward sides of said frames. When passing over the tops and along the rearward sides of the frames, the rollers are withdrawn from engagement with said frames and separated from them, as shown in Fig. 1. The pivotal point or T-head 12 being very nearly in a plane parallel with the rear side of the bucket and tangent to the periphery of the roller 17 and the points of connection 15 being held in line with the chain and parallel with the plane referred to, it is evident that any force which has a tendency to turn the lower side of the bucket toward the chains 6 will bring the rollers 17 upon the frames 3 and press them against the latter, thereby maintaining the bucket at right angles to the chains 6 and to the surfaces of the frames over which said buckets are moving. Thus when passing along the lower sides of the frames 3, as in Fig. 1, the buckets will hang downward verticallyin a position to scrape the snow from the roadway and receive it in the interior of said buckets. After passing the lower forward angles of the frames, however, the buckets filled with snow will travel upward in a horizontal position until they reach the top of the frames 3. Here, if their positions relatively to the chains were preserved, they would pass over the tops of the frames 3 in an upright position; but being filled with snow it is necessary to invert the buckets in order to discharge their contents into a tank 18, which is arranged between the frames, its open top lying just beneath the surfaces of the upper members of the frames. To accomplish this object, I arrange upon the up per sides of the frames 3, close to the upper forward angles formed by the vertical members, upwardly-projecting cams 19, having upwardly and rearwardly inclined faces 20, over which the rollers 17 must pass immediately after leaving the forward members of the frames 3. This causes the upper ends of the buckets to pitch forward, as illustrated in Fig. 1, thereby bringing the center of gravity forward of the pivotal axis 12, whereupon the bucket automatically turns its open side downward and discharges its contents into the tank 18, which is provided in its interior with pipes 21, arranged either in a parallel group and connected at their ends by headers 22 or in any other suitable manner. These pipes are supplied with the exhaust-steam from the engine, which passes downward to an outlet at the bottom of the tank.

This mechanism can be operated with great economy, as the power required for its propulsion and operation is not great. The width of the clearance effected by the apparatus is increased by means of side shields 23, mounted upon vertical tie-bars 24: on the lat eral faces of the frames 3. The outer faces and cutting edges 25 of these shields lie outside the exterior faces of the frames; but from the edges 25 the inner faces 26 converge at a small angle and terminate in the vertical plane in which the forward ends of the buck ets travel.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is-- 1. In an apparatus for removing snow, the combination of two vertical frames, a snowmelting tank carried thereby,- means for propellin g the same over a snow-covered surface, a series of buckets, chains movable along the sides of the frames and to which the buckets are pivotally connected at their upper rear ward angles, and rollers supported on studs projecting from the ends of the buckets and adapted to roll upon the lower and forward members of the frames and hold the buckets at right angles with the chains and means for dumping the contents of the buckets into said tank, substantially as described.

2. In an apparatus for removing snow, the combination of two vertical frames, a snowmelting tank carried thereby, means for propelling the same over a snow-covered surface, chains running over sprockets at the angles its of said frames, buckets arranged at intervals along said chains and connected to the latter by pivotal bearings in rear of said buckets,

and rollers supported on studs projecting from the ends of said buckets and having their peripheries in or nearly in a plane passing through the pivotal points and substantially at a right angle with the open tops of the buckets, and means for dumping the contents of buckets into said tank, substantially as described.

3. In a mechanism for removing snow, the combination of two vertical frames, a snowmelting tank carried by said frames, means for propelling the same over a snow-covered surface, sprockets arranged in the angles of said frames, chains running over said s prockets and along the sides of the frames, buckets arranged at intervals along said chains and between the frames, their ends having pivotal connection to said chains in rear of the buckets and at a single point in each, rollers mounted on studs projecting from the ends of the buckets and adapted to roll on the lower and forward members of said frames to hold the buckets at right angles thereto, and cams on the upper sides of the frames at, or near the upper forward angles, the forward faces of said cams being inclined and adapted to dump the contents of the buckets into said tank, substantially as described.

4. In a mechanism for removing snow, the combination of two vertical, rectangular frames, a snow-melting tank carried by said frames and provided with heating pipes, means for propelling the same over a snowcovered surface, sprocket-wheels arranged within the four angles of said frames, chains running over said sprockets and alongside the sides of the frame, a series of buckets having their ends pivotally connected to said chains at a single point, rollers mounted on short studs projecting from the ends of said bnckets,said rollers being adapted to bear upon the sides of the frame when the buckets are at right angles with the latter, and cams having inclined faces at or near the upper,

forward angles of the frames and adapted to dump the contents of the buckets in said tank,

said cams rising above the upper sides of the frames.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing wit nesses.

PATRICK E, GARMODY. Witnesses:

REUBEN H. TUCKER, AUSTIN P. KIRKHAM. 

